


Guang Hong Ji and the Unexpected Erogenous Zone

by PeppyBismilk



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Cute, Fluff, Hair Dyeing, M/M, Off-Season, Pre-2014-2015 Skating Season, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 19:03:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20087221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeppyBismilk/pseuds/PeppyBismilk
Summary: When Guang Hong's roots start showing during off-season training, it's Leo and Phichit to the rescue. But Guang Hong learns that even a routine dye job feels different when it's your best friend/crush's hands on your scalp.





	Guang Hong Ji and the Unexpected Erogenous Zone

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Leo!

“You’ve got purin!” 

“Huh?” Guang Hong gaped at Phichit. He hadn’t brought any dessert, so it must have been some cool slang word. Guang Hong looked around the rink for help, but Leo just smiled and waved at him from across the ice.

“Like pudding? Flan?” Phichit explained, as if that helped. Guang Hong knew what purin was—he just didn’t know what it had to do with anything. “Yuuri taught me.” 

“What did Yuuri teach you?” Leo asked, skating over to them. 

“That Guang Hong’s hair looks like purin!” Phichit reached over to ruffle Guang Hong’s hair. “I didn’t notice yesterday.”

“Oh!” Guang Hong’s cheeks warmed. He was already a little flustered from being late to practice, and now Phichit was calling attention to how badly his dark roots clashed with his light ends. “Yeah, I haven’t dyed my hair since back before Worlds. I guess I got a little lazy.”

“You’ve been busy,” Leo corrected him. “It takes a lot of time.”

Leo would know, since he had red hair for a while in juniors. Guang Hong hadn’t really known him then, but he remembered. 

“Are my roots that bad?” He twisted a lock of hair between his fingers and chewed his lip. “I was going to wait until I got back to China to redo it.”

“It looks good,” said Leo.

“There’s a beauty supply store near my apartment,” Phichit said at the same time. “You can fix it in my bathroom!”

Guang Hong gasped. “But my mom’s friend usually does it for me! And she has to match the color using, um, what’s the word…” 

“Toner?” Leo filled in. That was it! Guang Hong nodded—Leo was so smart. 

“I’m sure we can figure it out.” Phichit pulled out his phone and wiggled it. “That’s what YouTube is for!”

“But what if the dyes are different here?” Guang Hong wondered aloud. Phichit was an amazing skater, but probably didn’t know the first thing about hair. What if all of Guang Hong’s hair fell out? It wouldn’t grow back before next season. Or what if the roots got  _ too _ light and he ended up looking like some sort of weird reverse purin?

“You don’t have to touch it up,” Leo reminded him. “But I could help if you want.”

“You would? Really?” Guang Hong turned to Leo and beamed up at him. Of course Leo would know what to do! He trusted Phichit, but there was no one Guang Hong trusted more than Leo. Not even his coach or his parents. 

“Oh, sure.  _ Leo _ offers and you’re all over it,” Phichit said with a laugh. Even though it was a joke, Guang Hong blushed again.

Leo just smiled. “I used to help my sister lighten her hair.” 

“All right, it’s a plan!” Phichit pounded one fist into his other hand and grinned. “Let’s go to the store after practice!”

Guang Hong should have known to leave the driving to Leo, too. Even though Phichit had also learned to drive in America, he didn’t seem to follow the same traffic laws as everyone else. He was all over the road, weaving between cars and following way too closely. Guang Hong’s knuckles were stiff from white-knuckling the handle above his window, and even Leo looked rattled by the time Phichit parked. Outside of the lines. 

“Okay! What do we need?” Phichit asked, getting out of the vehicle and stretching his arms above his head. Guang Hong followed him into the store, shaking off the nerves. Even Leo seemed rattled, shoulders tight as he followed close behind.

“I don’t know,” Guang Hong said, gaping at the overwhelming lineup of bottles and tubes on the shelves. “My mom’s friend always has a ton of stuff, but I don’t know what any of it is.”

Ever the cool head, Leo said, “Let’s ask.” He approached the clerk behind the counter and launched into a friendly conversation Guang Hong could barely follow. The English words were familiar—_level_ and  _ volume _ and  _ develop_—but he had never heard them in this context.

But Leo must have understood, because soon, Guang Hong had run his credit card through the machine and they piled back into Phichit’s car to head to his apartment. 

After a much too exciting drive, Phichit started making dinner and Guang Hong watched as Leo lined his purchases up on the bathroom counter. The bottles all looked so different from the ones his mother’s friend Lifen used, but the products had to be the same.

“Phichit!” Leo called as Guang Hong gathered a couple towels from a shelf. “Do you have any old T-shirts?” 

Phichit yelled back from the kitchen. “Second drawer in my bedroom!”

Guang Hong heard footsteps on the tile and looked up into the mirror just in time to catch a reflection of Leo taking his shirt off in the doorway.  _ Oh my god, has his back always been so ripped?  _ Guang Hong thought, his cheeks suddenly burning. He tore his eyes away—there was no way Leo was trying to show off.

Leo reappeared in a threadbare Detroit Zoo shirt that was a little too short on him. “You should change, too, Guang Hong,” he said, holding out a faded gray shirt. “I don’t want to mess up your clothes.”

“Right,” Guang Hong squeaked out, unable to meet Leo’s eyes after his accidental peek. It was silly—they had shared locker rooms before, but no one was supposed to  _ look. _ Lately, it seemed like Leo got cuter every time Guang Hong looked at him, especially now that it was the off season and they saw each other every day. 

“Are you ready?” Leo asked. 

“I think so,” Guang Hong said slowly. He gave his hair a vigorous ruffle, as if he might dislodge the image from his head. 

“I’ll let you change.” Leo smiled and headed back into the hallway, this time in the other direction. Maybe to check on Phichit and dinner. 

_ See?_ he told himself as he pulled on Phichit’s old shirt, _Leo’s perfectly respectful. _ Guang Hong wouldn’t have minded a little ogling, but then again, he didn’t have Leo’s shoulders. He headed out to the kitchen to find his friends. 

“It’s gonna be a minute,” said Phichit, putting a lid on his saucepan. “Do you guys want to eat first or dye?”

Guang Hong giggled at his unintentional threat. “Is your cooking really that bad?” he joked. Phichit was a great cook—if anything was going to kill them, it was his driving.

“Probably eat first,” said Leo with a laugh. “Dying your hair will take a little while.”

“Cool!” Phichit replied. “Hey, we should call Yuuri while we wait! He never used to get up early but Viktor has him on  _ his _ schedule.” He chuckled to himself. “It’s _fantastic_.”

“You mean we might see Viktor?!” Just the thought warmed Guang Hong’s cheeks. Yuuri was an amazing skater and a nice guy, but Viktor was...well, Viktor was the reason he had started skating. 

Phichit was already making the video call, and he greeted Yuuri in Japanese.

Yuuri was dripping wet and he looked exhausted, but he managed a smile. “Phichit-kun!” He blinked and put his glasses on. “Oh, Leo, Guang Hong. Hello.”

“Did you just get out of the shower?” Phichit asked. His mouth formed an O. “Wait! Were you and Viktor...you know?”

“What?” Yuuri’s face went red. “No! Huh? What are you talking about?”

Guang Hong didn’t know either. 

Phichit shook his head. “Just checking! So, what are you up to?”

Yuuri cringed, turning his phone around to show the ocean. It was beautiful, but sadly there was no sign of Viktor. “Early morning swim. The water isn’t very warm yet.”

“Wow, Viktor’s a really strict coach!” Phichit mused. “I never would have guessed.”

“He says cold water is good for your joints.” Yuuri shuddered and wrinkled his nose. “I think it’s a Russian thing.”

“We should try swimming in Lake Michigan!” Phichit said, making a determined fist. “If Viktor says it’s good for you, it must be!”

Guang Hong was inclined to agree. Plus, a road trip with Leo and Phichit would be so fun! He had never gone swimming with Leo before. 

_ I wonder what kind of swimsuit he has? _ Probably orange trunks, or maybe yellow. Blue? What if they were tight? With a dreamy, subconscious smile, Guang Hong snuck a glance at his best friend and Leo smiled back at him.  _ Aah!  _ Guang Hong’s eyes got wider and cheeks hotter when he realized he had been caught.  _ Does he know I’m imagining him in a bathing suit? _

“What are you guys doing?” Yuuri asked. 

Phichit pointed at Guang Hong’s hair. “He’s got purin!”

“You remembered,” said Yuuri with a laugh. “So are you dyeing it?”

Leo nodded. “Just getting everything set up now.”

“Be careful,” Yuuri warned them. “The first time Mari bleached her hair, she stained two towels and one of the onsen yukatas.”

“Leo knows what he’s doing,” Guang Hong blurted out. “He’s going to do a great job.”

“A great dye job,” said Phichit. “With his hands. You might call it a hand—”

“Phichit,” Leo said in an exasperated tone. Yuuri looked similarly put out.

Guang Hong couldn’t imagine why. Probably a dirty joke in English. He could ask Leo later, except...

Maybe he’d ask Phichit. Who must have caught him staring at Leo if he was making dirty jokes. Guang Hong had to snap out of it.

“Yuuri!” sang a muffled voice from the other end. It had to be Viktor! Guang Hong braced himself to see one of his heroes in the wild, but before he could freak out, he was treated to another rare sight. Yuuri brightened, his entire face alight with a brilliant smile the likes of which Guang Hong had never seen. Then, Viktor appeared on the screen and both Guang Hong and Leo gasped. 

“Oh, hello!” said Viktor with a wave. How did he look so perfect and graceful when he had just gotten out of the ocean? And how was his hair already dry?

“You dried off so fast!” Guang Hong blurted out. 

“Oh, I didn’t go swimming!” said Viktor, rubbing his arms and shivering. “The water is still way too cold for me. I won’t put a toe in for at least another two weeks.”

Yuuri laughed nervously and said, “Well, I need to dry off and get to the rink.”

“Okay, okay. Bye!” said Phichit. Yuuri and Viktor waved goodbye and Phichit set his phone aside. “He never has much time to talk anymore. I get it, though!” 

“Oh, for sure,” Leo replied as Phichit went back to the stove. “If Viktor were my coach, I’d want to learn as much as possible.”

“Yeah,” Phichit said slowly, “something like that.” 

Even if Viktor were Guang Hong’s coach (and just the thought made him blush), he would still make time to talk to Leo. He couldn’t imagine anything getting in the way of their friendship. A coma, maybe? But he would come to the hospital to hold Leo’s hand and talk to him, and that would definitely wake him up. Or vice versa.

“Can I get a hand?” Phichit asked, startling Guang Hong out of his medical fantasy.

“Yeah!” Both Guang Hong and Leo rushed to the kitchen to help Phichit finish cooking and dish out the food. It was delicious—nothing fancy, but Phichit always used good spices—and the company was great, too. Guang Hong loved relaxed meals like these. They were few and far-between during the skating season, and he’d be heading back to China all too soon. He didn’t even mind doing dishes if it meant more time with his friends.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do when you guys go home,” Phichit moaned, as if he could read Guang Hong’s mind. 

“Visit your family?” Leo suggested. “When was the last time you went back home?”

“Just a few months ago,” said Phichit, but there was a glint in his eyes now. “But maybe it’s time to switch things up.” 

“Are you going to move back to Thailand?” Guang Hong wondered aloud. 

Phichit put a finger to his lips. “Something to think about. I need to make a call.”

He took off for his room, and Leo and Guang Hong looked at each other and shrugged. 

“Should we get to it?” Leo asked. Guang Hong nodded and they headed back to the bathroom, Leo carrying one of Phichit’s folding chairs in front of him. 

Guang Hong watched from that chair as Leo turned on some chill music on his phone and started mixing the color. He looked so professional!

“There we go,” said Leo. He smiled down at Guang Hong and picked up a comb. “Let’s get your part sorted.”

There wasn’t a lot of room in Phichit’s bathroom, especially not with a chair in the middle of it. He was used to being close to Leo, but now Leo was practically hugging him, arms and chest comfortably within his personal space.

Then came the comb.

Guang Hong froze the moment it touched his scalp. A jolt shot down his spine and his leg twitched.

“You okay?” Leo asked, halting his movement. 

“Fine,” Guang Hong squeaked out. “Static.”

Leo winced. “Sorry!” 

Guang Hong felt bad for lying, but he couldn’t come right out and say, “It just feels so amazing when you comb my hair.”

Panic drenched him like icy water. How was he going to get through this?! Maybe he would get used to it. Surely, the next touch wouldn’t feel as good. 

Leo ran the comb through Guang Hong’s hair and a wave of pleasure rolled through his entire body. 

It never felt like this when Lifen did his hair. It hadn’t felt like this when Phichit had ruffled his hair earlier that day.

Leo pushed the comb through again and this time, Guang Hong couldn’t stop a moan from coming out.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough.”

Guang Hong swallowed, suddenly parched. He couldn’t even respond this time; all he could do was shake his head. Why did Leo have to say _that_]?

“Does it hurt?”

“No,” Guang Hong stammered. “It just tingles…”

That was the wrong thing to say, and not just because it was pathetically transparent. Leo’s eyes went wide with worry and he whipped his gloves off. “It’s not supposed to tingle. I’ll rinse it out right away!”

“No! It’s fine! It’s not burning!” Words shot out of Guang Hong’s mouth like rapid fire. Even though it was a lie, he added, “It always feels like this.” 

“If you’re sure.” Leo touched his shoulder and leaned in close, a lock of brown hair falling into his eyes. “Just let me know if the tingling gets worse, okay?”

Oh, it was getting worse all right, but now it was his shoulder and there was no blaming the hair dye for that. Guang Hong nodded, hoping that Leo couldn’t see his labored gulp.

Leo turned his gloves right-side-out and put them back on before getting back to work. He pushed the next section of hair to the side and applied more color, and Guang Hong’s toe twitched. That was never a good sign (even though it meant he felt good).

He tried to think of sad things like natural disasters, but forest fires just reminded him of the fire in Leo’s eyes when he skated. Visualizing monsoons didn’t help, either; Leo would look amazing standing in the rain in a thin, white shirt… 

Every time Leo flipped more hair over, another shiver would travel up Guang Hong’s spine, intensifying his secret fantasies.

He found himself wishing for the long, black cape that Lifen would pin around his neck to protect his clothes and her chair. It would have offered some cover for the activity between his legs that he was trying so desperately to stifle. 

Thinking about it didn’t help.

Nor did it help when Leo ran a thumb along Guang Hong’s temple, mumbling, “Oops, it dripped.”

Guang Hong bit the inside of his cheek, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually hurt himself. Instead, he released his cheek and sucked in a puff of air through his teeth.

“Does it sting?” Leo asked, leaning in once more and confronting Guang Hong with warm brown eyes. “I promise I won’t blind you.”

“I’m fine,” Guang Hong said, higher than he intended. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Keep going.”

Leo did, and Guang Hong took a deep breath, so deep that he started to cough from inhaling the harsh chemicals.

“Are you all right?” Leo pulled his gloves off again and put his hands on Guang Hong’s cheeks. 

“I’m fine,” Guang Hong repeated with another cough. His heart was racing, getting faster the longer Leo searched his eyes. Didn’t he mind being coughed on?

“Is everything okay?” came Phichit’s voice from the doorway. He stopped so abruptly his feet almost screeched on the tile. “Whoa! Am I interrupting something?”

“No.” Leo and Guang Hong both spoke at once, springing apart. Guang Hong dabbed at his eyes and Leo grabbing a fresh pair of gloves.

Phichit eyed them skeptically. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Leo? You should probably open a window.” He brushed past them to do just that, and then he switched on the shower fan. 

“Thanks,” Leo said, with just a slight tinge to his cheeks. His hair fell into his eyes before Guang Hong could be sure. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s why I’m so dizzy.”

_Right_, Guang Hong realized, his heart sinking. The fumes. He managed to keep his hands still and his while Leo dabbed a little more color at his hairline, then stepped back. 

“All done,” Leo said. “It just has to develop now.”

Phichit snorted and they both looked his way. “Something’s definitely developing.”

“Are you training in Thailand next season?” Guang Hong asked, remembering their earlier conversation. The crack in his voice was just because of his coughing fit.

“That’s definitely the least interesting thing going on in this room,” Phichit mused, “but I’m going back to Thailand. I’m going to miss it here, but I think training back in Thailand could really keep the momentum going. The sport’s really picking up steam!”

“That’s great,” Leo said.

Phichit nodded. “Besides, Yuuri’s where he’s supposed to be.”

Guang Hong could still picture the way Yuuri had smiled on the video call. He’d never seen Yuuri smile like that before.

But what he saw when he glanced over at Leo wiped Yuuri’s face from his mind. When Leo was truly happy, the skin around his eyes would crinkle, almost like his eyes were closed in bliss. That smile Guang Hong thought was reserved for skating, adorned his face now. 

That lightheaded feeling had nothing to do with the chemicals this time.

“I’m going to watch TV. I’ll leave you two to it,” Phichit said.

Leo tore his eyes away and his smile reverted to just friendly for Phichit. “It’s gotta process.” Turning back to Guang Hong, he asked, “You wanna watch something? Just don’t lean your head on any of the furniture.”

Guang Hong snickered and nodded. Television sounded like the perfect distraction.

Or, it would have been, if Phichit hadn’t picked a romantic show and if Leo’s leg hadn’t been pressed up against Guang Hong’s the whole time. 

Leo kept sneaking little glances at him, almost looking nervous. Guang Hong couldn’t imagine why. He’d seen himself in the mirror, and he wasn’t exactly at his most adorable with dye in his hair. 

Phichit gave a snore from his chair and Guang Hong and Leo jumped. “Is it time?” Guang Hong asked.

“Yes!” Leo stood up and grabbed his hand, then looked down at it. “Sorry. We better hurry. Wouldn’t want your hair to fall out, right?”

They both chuckled, softly so as not to wake Phichit, then made their way back to the bathroom. Facing each other, still holding hands, there wasn’t a lot of room.

Leo didn’t seem to mind. “It matches,” he said. “Your roots, I mean.”

“I knew they would,” Guang Hong replied. He’d never had any doubt.

Leo’s cheeks were definitely flushed now. “Well, it’s been a while. I’d never forgive myself if I messed up your hair.”

“I’d forgive you,” whispered Guang Hong.

That smile was back, and so were the tingles. Not on his scalp, though that might come to pass if they stood there much longer. 

Leo must have been thinking the same thing, because he said, “You really have to shampoo it to get the dye out.” He tucked his own hair behind his ear and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I could wash it for you? If you wanted.”

Guang Hong was sure he wouldn’t survive it but his head started nodding before his brain could catch up. 

He kneeled over the side of the bathtub with Leo was next to him, intimate and warm. “Just tell me if it’s too hot,” he said.

“OK,” Guang Hong whispered, drowned out by the running water. Leo eased his head down into the stream, the trickle of hot water spreading over his scalp and bending around Leo’s warm fingertips. Guang Hong closed his eyes, letting the pleasant shivers take hold this time. 

Leo flattened his palm against Guang Hong’s scalp, pulling—not on purpose—but just so. Another moan slipped out, and he didn’t even care if the water muffled it or not. 

Maybe it was unrelated, but Leo pressed closer, then turned the water off. “Shampoo,” he murmured. With a whiff of citrus, Leo’s hands were in Guang Hong’s hair once more, gliding through as he worked up a lather. 

Shouldn’t his scalp have gotten used to it by now? Why was it that his hair was a direct line to his spine and, er, beyond?

One of Leo’s hands moved to turn the faucet on again, but the other stayed put, fingers tracing gentle patterns in his sudsy hair.

The shampoo was long gone before Leo was done rubbing his scalp. Guang Hong dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, Leo was enjoying it, too.

Finally, Leo turned the water off, but he still didn’t move. “It looks great,” he said, helping Guang Hong upright. Water dripped to his shoulders, soaking the neck of the borrowed T-shirt. He needed a towel, but he didn’t care. 

Leo wasn’t smiling, but the look on his face was even more captivating. Where his eyes had been fixed on Leo’s before, now Guang Hong couldn’t look away from his lips. Leo’s mouth moved at the same time as his own.

“Can I—”

“I want to—”

They both breathed out soft laughs, then stopped. The dye was long gone, washed down the drain—these tingles were from being so close to Leo.

All of the tingles, all night, were from Leo. Leo, who was now a hair’s width away, holding his hands, energy practically crackling off of him.

It wouldn’t take much effort to close that gap. 

Phichit walking into them was, in fact, too much. 

Guang Hong swayed on his feet. He would have toppled into the tub if Leo hadn’t been holding him.

“Shit!” Phichit yelped. He looked up, still half asleep, then his eyes flew open. “I’m sorry! Oh my gosh, you guys were going to—oh no, I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay,” Leo said, backing away once he was sure Guang Hong wasn’t going to fall. “It’s okay.”

Disappointed as he felt, it really was okay. Leo didn’t look away, and the fire in his eyes said that this would not be their last chance. Guang Hong smiled back, hoping Leo would catch his message: _I can’t wait to try again._

They broke apart because Phichit had to use the bathroom and take them back to the dorms they were staying in for the summer. 

“I’m really sorry about earlier,” Phichit reiterated once they were in the car. Before they could reassure him it was fine, he brightened. “Oh, but I like your blonde streak, Leo!”

“My what?” Leo flipped down the passenger visor mirror, an automatic light switching on to illuminate it. Sure enough, there was a streak—well, more like a chunk—of lighter blonde hair in Leo’s bangs. 

Guang Hong gasped. Now that he stopped to think about it, Leo had brushed his bangs behind his ears several times during the dye job. He hadn’t noticed because he’d been too busy staring at Leo’s mouth.

Which he was definitely going to kiss soon. 

“So, you didn’t do it to match Guang Hong?” Phichit wondered.

“Ah, no,” Leo chuckled, shrugging. “This was an accident.”

“Good,” Phichit replied. “Because it’d be pretty funny if you had pudding now that he’s all one shade.”

“Pudding?” Guang Hong tilted his head in confusion. “I thought it was purin.”

“No, no. Leo looks like those pudding cups. You know, the chocolate ones with the vanilla stripe in the middle. Haven’t you tried them?” Phichit reached for his phone and the car lurched to the right. “Let me google it for you.”

“Phichit, no!” Leo and Guang Hong cried at once. Leo even grabbed for the wheel, but Phichit righted the car and got them back to the guest dorms without event.

“You know,” Leo began once Phichit was driving away, “I’m going to need some help fixing this.” He pointed at his accidental streak and Guang Hong grinned. They both knew Leo didn’t really need help, but he wanted it, and Guang Hong couldn’t wait to return the favor. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just have so many feelings about Leoji 🧡
> 
> [Songbirdsara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songbirdsara/pseuds/Songbirdsara) and I have this theory that Phichit is not the world's best driver. She's got some more shenanigans coming on that theme, but in the meantime, here's some Leoji for Leo's birthday. She also did a hyper fast beta read for me to get this out in time!


End file.
